Voltage regulator and the like



1942. 1.. D. CAHILL 7 2,282,933

VOLTAGE RCGULLTOR AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 23, 1940 2 Sheets-T 11361 l I A: l wfgamli 1?; 2.5

INVENTOR.

1734.5 0, C Wf/LL.

A TTORNEYfi A2,, 1942. L. D. CAHILL VOLTAGE. R531 JUTOR AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Filec} Aug. 23, 194') I F/ZE,

B iii;

INVENTOR. Amara" .5? CflH/LL Za/iw 4 M 2' A TTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND THE LIKE Lysle D. Cahill, Cleveland, Ohio,

lard Storage Battery Company,

assignor to Wil- Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of West Virginia Application August 23, 1940, Serial No. 353,880 (Cl. 175-336) 4 Claims.

steel or iron and during the operation of these devices more or less of the flux traverses the housing. In the case of voltage regulators it is desirable to be able to adjust or vary the operating characteristics to thereby vary the voltage of the generator to suit the charging requirements of the battery for a wide variety of driving conditions. One way of making this adjustment is to vary the tension of the spring acting on the armature of the regulator, as by bending the spring-supporting arm, but this requires the removal of the cover or housing to gain access to the spring and the replacement of the housin for checking the adjustment inasmuch as the housing forms a part of the magnetic circuit. Repeated bending of the spring-supporting arm may result in early failure thereof, and moreover, in order to be able to adjust a regulator by such variation in the spring tension, it is necessary that the device be manufactured with such care and accuracy that its initial operating characteristics are very close to the desired or ultimate characteristics. As will be explained in detail hereinafter, my invention eliminates the need for altering the tension of the armature spring or opening the-housing and provides a simpler and more satisfactory way of adjusting a voltage regulator or the like by controlling the magnetic flux.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide novel means for controlling or varying the magnetic circuit of a voltage regulator or like device whereby the voltage setting or operating characteristics can be adjusted more readily and more accurately than heretofore.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction for voltage regulators and like devices by which adjustment of the voltage setting or operating characteristics can be quickly and easily made with the housing or cover surrounding the regulator or relay as in the ordinary service condition in which the device is intended to be used.

My invention also aims to provide an improved construction for voltage regulators and the like,

wherein a simple and efllcient adjusting means embodied in the device has an eiiectiveness such that it is only necessary to have a rough or approximate comniercial or initial setting during the manufacture of the devices.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved construction for voltage regulators and other relays of the type having a housing formed of magnetic material, in which a body of magnetic material is located in the housing at a point relative to the relay to so control or regulate the flow of flux as to produce a desired voltage setting or operating characteristic.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved regulator or relay construction of the character just mentioned in which means is accessible externally of the housing for shifting the body of magnetic material relative to a portion of the regulator or relay to produce the desired adjustment. 1

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when'taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation showing a voltage regulator or like device enclosed in a housing and provided with means for adjusting the operating characteristics of the device while the housing is closed.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional plan view taken through the device as indicated by line 2-2 of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the device as indicated by line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse sectional view showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional plan view taken through this modified device as indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view showing a voltage regulator or the like enclosed in a housing provided with another form of adjusting means.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the device showing the same with portions thereof broken away, and

Fig; 8 is a wiring diagram showing a typical circuit in which my improved regulator or relay v may be used.

As just indicated above, the drawings illustrate different embodiments of my invention to' which further reference will now be made for the purpose of describing the construction and operation thereof in greater detail. However, before proceeding with such more detailed description, itshould be understood that the inmay opera t wvith a is not limited to the particular construcreduces the amount of flux passing through the tions and arrangements hereinafter described latter, and hence the presence or absence of the but may be embodied in numerous other devices shunt or a variation in the reluctance thereof of this character. will alter the operating characteristics oi the dc- In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings I show an 5 vice.

electromagnetic relay l mounted on a base II To thus vary the effectiveness of the magnetic and enclosed by a housing or cover 12 formed shunt I provide j t ng means whereby the of magnetic material, that is, a material capable position of the body 25 relative to the frame I! of readily-conducting magnetic fiux such as'steel; "hand to t'he-i armature can be varied while the or ci'ronv- I Ih e 'rjglayrshown i'nfth'i s instancemay c v housing or cover 1-2 is in its'closed position. For he a voltage regulator of the type frequently used h purpose I may provide the body 25 with a in the starting and lighting systems of i'rr'iiotoni; d 29 Which p oj c s u h a S t 30 0 the vehicles and may comprise a magnet or coil,,.| 3 lousing andcarries an adjustin n G ide adapted to be energized to rn'dve an armature-1i strips "32 mounted on the housing at opposite sides to thereby cause opening and- 1 of ;-tire :s1ot gfi provide a guideway along which of ontacts and It; a tliecznut il can be slid for shifting the position provided with a U-shaped fr v of theibodyr25 toward or from the armature 14. core i8 between its armswi la and ijb on which 1 hfi unli 3Dmf y has a la ge or collar 33 the magnet coil I3 is ri'i-ot'iiitedo'i-wouiidFTue a n n e uid way formed y the st ips armature l4 may be mounted 01'11' ;;li1jie.arm"{:|"1a 32 sothat rotation of the nut will screw the stud of th r inwardly o outwardly or the housing, depending -"ehd::oi"' upori the' 'd'ii'ecti on inf-rotation and thereby move -=-'the' body toward"or away from the arms of thefr'ame il. The body 25 may be held against rotat-ion'inhe housing 12 by one or more pins 34= carried 'tlijer'by and"projecting through a slot ill be seen th'at the body 25 can be shifted upnwa'rdlyor downwardly relative to the armature e illustrated fin thi's a wide 'r ange; lt'will also be seen that this ad- ;iustr'ne'ntfof the body 25 "can be accomplished whil'the" housing l 2 is'closed and the regulator '-':-er re ay is fiin'ct'ioning in the service or use to "ment as just described can be made while the and upon each closiri of th sho'rt-circuited out "0 f the fi'eld .Foradiusting the op'e'i a'ti'ng sti'c s theregu-1at r. r relaymlto t'Q HtT I-tD neticshunt increases the operating volta e of of thegencra'torfllhr whetherreasons-r provide "mule regulator. and mgvment in a direction to a body 25 f magnetic w f 5 mated decrease its effectiveness as a shunt decreases the in thefihou'sin'g and i i v v j .vYEIatiVBEtOJ-m r l a 'i g d t r i slthe p In the embodiment oftheinvention illustrated centage of the flux to pass through the armature Flgs- I Show Similar body 37 of contacts circuit.

M In,theuembodimentxshownm Figs/1 to 3 or other" magnetic material located in the housinclusiveythes'body 25 'c-forms' a' magnetic shunt I; across the arms of the frame I1. To this *en'd i a the bodyuz5 maytbeivm t-hZ fG Em IIai- 'l-f t d v the a rmatu're lt of the regulator or relay in. flat member on bar7fol mdicfgi; 1h :,ffi When the body "31 is located in this position, I new: materialandfiofvaideh-gth f w .findthat'it decreases the reluctance of that part the etw gbh a mgo gflie fi'ama of the magnetic circuit which extends through The effectiveness of the magneti c shunt' formed 's by the bodsr25 'n1 'fdp ndf' upon 'j 7,1 stream-of stray fiuX so that it will pass through to the: arms of itheitramehll a -x 1 5 .f pbnl' t the'armature therebycausing an increase in the proximity tot'he 'upperwendsof the m g; t t "total amount of flux which'passes through the the U-like frame I! because it decreases the air 'gapsbetween the armature and the arms of the frame." The decreased reluctance in these two magnetic circuits thus causes an increased 2p d changes in the energization of the coil or winding pathgforgthefiuxthan the armatureili a'nd thus "I3than if the magnetic body 3! were not emhousingjlz is closed, the magnetic effects of the ployed. The use of the body 31 in'the position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 thus serves to decrease the voltage setting at which the device will operate as a voltage regulator because the armature will be'attracted toward the frame member II at a lower voltage value. In the device of Figs. 1 to 3 the body 25 is located relatirely remote from the armature l4 and forms a shunt or auxiliary flux path and thus decreases the amount of flux left to pass through the armature. On the other hand, in the device of Figs. 4 and 5 the body 31 is very close to the armature and directs or influences the flux to pass through the latter. The body 31 thus increases the flux through the armature instead of acting as a shunt and reducing it as in the case of the body 25 The body 3'1 can be permanently mounted on the end wall of the housing 12 in substantially the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by any suitable fastening means, or, if desired, can be ad- .iusiably mounted thereon by the same mounting and adjusting means as is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. It will also be understood that the operating characteristics of the regulator or relay can be varied more or less by substituting for the body 3! other similar bodies of different sizes or proportions. The effectiveness of the body 31 will also depend upon the width of the air-gap 558 and this can be made of any desired width by varying the thickness or position of the body.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show still another way of controlling the flow or distribution of the flux to thereby adjust or regulate the operating characteristics of the voltage regulator or relay [0.

In this form of the invention I show the housing i2 having a body of magnetic material mounted on the top wall l2b thereof preferably in the form of a screw 40 which extends into the housing to a point adjacent the armature M of the regulator or relay I0 contained in the housing. For suitably mounting the screw 40 on-the housing I2 I may provide the latter with a threaded opening in which the screw is engaged or may mount a nut 4! or the like on the wall of the housing to accommodate this screw. The body of magnetic material constituting the screw 40 may be arranged in any desired position or location relative to the armature and as here show may extend adjacent the armature H from a point thereabove so as to reduce the reluctance between the housing and the armature and hence increase or redistribute the flux through the armature. The inner end of the screw 40 need not touch the armature and preferably is at all times spaced therefrom. In this modification the housing and screw form portions of a second magnetic path for flux produced by the relay and since the screw is located above the armature this additional flux is made to pass through the latter. When the screw is adjusted inwardl the air gap is decreased and consequently the flux through the armature is increased.

The operating characteristics of the regulator or relay shown in Figs. 6 and 7 can be accurately adjusted while the device is in use by moving the screw inwardly or outwardly relatively to the armature i l to vary the air space therebetween. To facilitate this adjustment of the screw 40 while the housing I2 is closed, I may provide an arm or lever 42 by which the screw can be conveniently rotated. Any suitable means may be provided for holding the screw in a desired position of adjustment, such as by providing the housing l2 with indentations 43 into which a knob or detent portion 44 of the lever 42 may engage.

The body ofmagnetic material used in the above described embodiments of my invention for adjusting the operating characteristics of the voltage regulator or relay may be formed of iron or other suitable magnetic material, but, as a further feature of my invention, I may make this body of nickel-iron alloy so that a temperature compensation can also be obtained. When the body is formed of nickel-iron alloy, it will have greaterreluctance when the operating temperature of the regulator or relay increases, andthis,

in the devices of Figs. 4 and 6, will correspondingly decrease the pull or attraction ,on the armature I4.

' In disclosing my invention I have pointed out advantages gained in embodying my improvement in voltage regulators and like devices during the manufacture thereof but it should be understood that my invention also contemplates the application of my improvement to voltage reg-ulator's and like devices which are already in use. This may be accomplished by manufacturing and selling housings or covers having my flux control means thereon.

From the foregoing description and the accom panying drawings it will now be readily under stood that I have provided an improved construction for voltage regulators and other electro magnetic relays by which the flow or distribution of the magnetic flux can be controlled or varied so as to produce a desired operating characteristic in the device. It will be seen furthermore, that my improved construction permits the adjustment of a voltage regulator or the like to be accomplished while the housing or cover is in a closed condition and hence more accurately and with greater facility than has heretofore been permissible.

While I have illustrated and described my invention in a more or less detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to r be limited to the particular constructions and arrangements of parts herein disclosed but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electromagnetic device. of the character described comprising a relay having a Ulil. e frame and a core with a surrounding coil thereon between the arms of the frame and a movable armature extending across said arms and core, a removable housing of magnetic material enclosing the relay, abody of magnetic material mounted on a wall of the housing and arranged thereon relative to said frame and armature to form a portion of an auxiliary magnetic circuit which extends through the housing when the housing surrounds the relay, and means for shifting said body'toward or away from said armature to vary the effectiveness of the auxiliary magnetic circuit.

2. In a voltage regulator, a base, a relay mounted on said base and having a U-like frame with a vibratory armature extending across the arms of the frame and a core with a surrounding coil between such arms, a removable cover formed of magnetic material and cooperating with said base to enclose the relay, a body of magnetic material disposed in said cover to extend as a magnetic shunt across the arms of said frame when said cover is applied to said base, the wall of said cover having a slot therein and said body having a threaded stem projecting through said slot, and a nut slidably anchored on said cover and engaging said threaded stem, said stem and nut providing a means for shifting said body toward or away from said arms to vary the airgap therebetween and also providing a means for shifting said body along said arms relative to said armature and thereafter locking said body in its adjusted position.

3. In an electromagnetic device of the character described, a relay having a core with a winding thereon and a enclosing the relay and made of magnetic material so as to form aportion of an auxiliary magnetic circuit, said relay being disposed in the housing with its core connected to one wall thereof and with its armature adjacent to but spaced from the opposite wall, and means formed of magnetic material and extending from said opposite wall to a point adjacent said armature to complete the auxiliary magnetic circuit through the housing, said means having a screw movable armature, a housing end of said core portion, a housing adjustment accessible from the outside of the housing for varying the air gap between the same and said armature.

4. In an electromagnetic device of the character described, a relay having a frame including a core portion, a winding on the core portion and a movable armature extending across an enclosing the relay and made of magneticmaterial so as to form a portion of an auxiliary magnetic circuit, said relay being disposed in the housing with its frame connected to one wall thereof and with its armature adjacent to but spaced from the opposite wall, a. screw formed of magnetic material and extending through said opposite wall substantially coaxially with said core portion to a point adjacent said armature to complete the auxiliary magnetic circuit through the housing, said screw having its head accessible from the outside of the housing for purposes of adjustment of the air gap between the stem of the screw and the armature.

LYSLE D. CAHILL. 

